Easel



A. J. MOIRI Feb. 10, 1953 EASEL Filed Nov. 29 1951 33 ""imvsnrrom ALFRED JAMES MOI'R Patented Feb. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EASEL Alfred James Meir, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application November 29, 1951, Serial No. 258,801

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in casels for supporting the artist's work when painting and sketching.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an easel which will securely hold the artists work in any position of inclination either towards or away from him.

A further and important object is to enable adjustment of the angle of the work to be quickly and easily accomplished.

Still a further object of importance is to provide an easel as aforesaid of simple and attractive construction which can be conveniently collapsed to an extremely compact unit for carriage and can be extended to hold substantially any size of painting normally encountered, and in extended position can be mounted on a small table or other support eliminating the present cumbersome supporting bases.

Still a further object is to enable the artist to carry his paints, oils and brushes in his easel for convenience.

The principal feature of the invention resides in pivotally supporting from a base an adjustable cantilever extension in the form of a plurality of pivotally connected arms or segments and carrying at the free end means to engage the upper edge of the work being held with the arms adjusted to incline the work at the desired angle, the arms carrying means to lock them in adjusted position into a rigid structure pivotal about the base and providing means to swin the rigid structure thus formed about its pivotal connec- 'tion to the base to apply downward pressure on the work clamping it firmly against the base.

A further feature resides in operating the can- 'tilever structure to swing about its base pivot by means of a screw operator to thereby afford continuous adjustment.

Another feature resides in forming the pivotal arm arrangement of the cantilever to collapse into a compact formation lying within the dimensions of the base.

Another feature resides in forming the base as a container adapted to house the artists supplies with the base portion from which the cantilever is pivotally supported forming a hinged closure for the container.

These and other objects and features will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a plan viewof an easel constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the easel of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view showing the cantilever adjustment mechanism.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view showing the adjustment feature of the cantilever arms,

Figure 5 is a view showing the easel collapsed and showing in dotted line the easel opened to give the artist access to the base.

Referring to the drawings, the easel comprises a base I, preferably in the form of a tray to house th artist's supplies and closed by a top board or cover 2 hinged to the base iat 3 and limited in its opening movement by links 4 and locked in its closed position by a latch 5,

Carried on a U bracket S mounted at the rear of the cover 2 are a pair cfiarms I pivoted to the bracket 6 on bolts 8 operated by wing nuts 9 to draw the arms into clamping engagement with the bracket surfaces I0. Suitable resilient or rubber washers H are incorporated between the surfaces l0 and the arms 1 to provide a firm friction grip therebetween upon tightening the wing nuts 9.

Extending transversely between the arms I is a bar 12 adapted to rotate about an axis transverse the arms, and extending through this bar is a threaded adjusting member iii in the form of a length of rod having its lower end right angularly bent and pivoted at M to swing about a pivotal axis parallel the pivotal axis of the arms I.

The arms 1 form the first segment of the cantilever structure of the easel while the second segment is formed by wide arm l5 pivoted between the upper ends of the arms 1 on a bolt l6 operated by wing nut I! to draw the arms into clamping engagement. Suitable friction washers l8 corresponding to the members II are interposed between the arm I5 and arms I to provide on compression a firm frictional grip between the arms.

The next segment of the cantilever structure is formed by a pair of arms l9 pivoted on opposite sides of the arm l5 by means of the bolt 2!] cperated to clamp the arms by a nut 2| in the same manner as the previous arms.

Further arms 22 are pivotally connected to the ends of arms l9 again with suitable clamping bolts and nuts 2l--22' respectively, and these arms carry a transverse support surface 23 through which project clamps 24 operated by the wing nuts 25. In supporting his work 26, which may be a board on which his canvas is mounted or a frame carrying means for supporting his working surface, the artist seats the lower edge of the work intheV 21 of the brackets 28 carried by the base. He then adjusts the angular relation of the arms 1, l5, 19 etc. (see Figure 4) so that the upper edge of the work is received beneath the clamps 24 with the work at approximately the desired inclination.

During this adjustment period the bolts 8, l6 etc. may be tightened sufliciently to maintain the arms in any angular relation to which they are set under their own weight; although permitting forceful displacement. With the up per edge of the work clamped the bolts 8, l6 etc. are tightened to convert the cantilever structure or extension formed. by the arms into a rigid structure. This rigid structure is then bodily rotated on the bolts 8. by means. of a wing nut 29 operating on the adjusting member l3 against the bar 12.

Since the cantilever structure when clamped is rigid, the movement imparted to its free end gripping the work will move towards the base I as the cantilever is rotated providing an increasing pressure down on. the. work against the base. There will be a small shift in the inclination of the work during this clamping motion but this can be allowed foi' in the original setting of the arms. Any degree of pressure desired can be obtained by operation of the wing nut 29 until the work is held absolutely rigid in its desired posiiton.

A lock nut 30 on the. member l3 serves to secure the adjustment. and additionally, wing nuts 9 can be operated to further increase the. lock of the cantilever in. its. workrclamping relation.

Figure 4 shows in solid line the work. inclined away from the artist, whichis usual when painting water colours. While. in dotted line. at shows the work inclined towards the artist, usual when painting oils. The. actual angle. of inclination can be increased. to any desired. angle.

It. will be appreciated that, regardless. of the an l o the e k des red. he ant l ver s reei e c n be. uat dte eeurehr clam the wor firmly against movement, providing a highly d s e r ing sur ace The se is erme oi s urd cenetruc i nan it l be e pre etedthat he e sel m y e us on a small ab e takin up the minimum o pa e. r h re the ea l is used." n a l rg table sufficient table suriace will. be afforded on which the artist can place his: necessary. workns. u sil Figure 2 shows the arrangement of the cantie e re a a ler p ece Q ork 1 s ing held and again. it will be seen that the adjustment of the arms readily permits accommodation of this work.

Figure 5 shows the manner in which the arms of the cantilever can be collapsed to internest with the face of the support surface '23 down against the base portion2, beingheld from marking this portion by rubber studs 32.

Figure 5 shows in dotted line the position 'of the cantilever when the cover 2 is; swung upwardly, giving access to the base I, allowing a considerable storage space.

Handles 33 form a convenient means for carv n the easel when lla ed o the QQIl E l Th ti of Figure 5 an the se er? lo ked; close positi txn by the latch. 5.

It' will be understood that variations" the m of e c ile er arms. and other hi 'tural details may be made without departing r h scene Q th n ention h I laim n? invent n s:

1; Ah ease emnrie hei a base an adjus abl an i x hs en ni eta v 51. 9192 ft litem sese. id s en hh celhnr siiig: l ralit a ms v te lv' qnhee ed; hi e d te-ehd re ation, means at the tree; endjgff sa d. extension. to support the upper edgeoi: a

e e d. a e. m a s le kin a piv te lv connected arms in pivotal adjustment with the el ment rkm n work inclined approximately at a desired angle to form a rigid cantilever structure pivotal about said base, and means pivoting said rigid cantilever structure relative said base to apply downward pressure on the work clamping it against said base.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said means for pivoting said rigid cantilever structure comprises a screw-threaded member providing continuous adjustment of the cantilever movement, and means to lock the rigid cantilever structure. in. adjusted position.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the base is provided with a V formation to receive the lower edge of the work.

4;. An easel comprising, a base and an adjustable cantilever extensionv pivotally supported from said base, said base being adapted to support the lower. edge of a piece of work placed thereon, said extension comprising a plurality of pivotally connected sections andhaving means at the free end thereof to engage the work adjacent the upper edge thereof, means locking said pivotally connectedsections in pivotal adjustment to form a rigid; cantilever structure, and means locking said rigid cantilever structure thusformed from pivotal movement about said. base.

5. easel. comprising, a-base. and an. adjustable cantilever extension pivotally supported from said base,.said extensionv comprising a pmrality of. pivotally connected. extension sections, means carriedat the freeend of. said. extension to engage work to be supported on. said base in an. inclined position, means carried. by saidjsec- Hons ion locking. same in. pivotal. adjustment when set to support the work ininclined position, converting. said extension into av substan tially rigid. cantilever. pivotal about said base, a longitudinal. member pivoted to rotate on an axis parallel to and offset from the pivot axis or said rigid cantilever and extending longitudinally inthe. direction of said cantilever, and means carried. by said' member to engage said cantilever and rotate same. about its pivotal connection with said base. while following the pivotal' movement. of said cantilever.

6'. An easel as claimed in claim 5 in whichsaid cantilever has a. transverse member having an opening therein and said longitudinal member comprises a rod pivoted to saidbase and having a screw-threaded end. extending through said openin a nut. member on said threaded end engaging said cross member, and means locking said cantilever in position upon adjustment by operating said nut member against said cross member.

ALFRED JAMES MOIR.

REFERENCES CITED Thev following references are of record in the file of. this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 576.803 Bernstein Feb. 9. 1.897 654,841 Sabin-MacDonald July 31, 1900 779,202 Burgess Jan. 3, 1905 FOREIGN BATENTS Number Country Date 16,779 Great Britain l905 

